Otep returns to Indianapolis \’With a Vengeance\’

Long running band Otep recently made a stop in Indianapolis to play one of Indy\’s most iconic venues, The Emerson Theater. Supporting the band were Lydia Can\’t Breathe, New Year\’s Day, and Stolen Babies.

The night opened with a few local acts. Death metal giants Abolisher closed out the openers with a crowd stopping performance and their savage styling set the stage for the rest of the night.

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Next up came Florida-based Lydia Can\’t Breathe. Their set was going well until the tail end of their time. You could say the lead singer “made a bit of an ass out of himself.” Unfortunately their groovy style fell flat when the lead singer became more interested in stage antics then the music itself. Between doughnuts flying and mooning the audience their sound was lost somewhere in between.

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However the show was redeemed by New Years Day. The band had an amazing amount of stage presence and the crowd was pumped, and began to move. Aside from a few technical difficulties early in the set, their industrial sound and gothic style held the crowd and got them begging for more. Expect to see this band on bigger stages soon.

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Next up came Stolen Babies; while not my style of music I must applaud them for being as unique as they are. Not to mention the energy from the crowd tells the story with them. While I found myself less than impressed with their sound, that didn\’t stop the energy in the room from building. The crowd was on their feet with them the entire time.

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Finally came the band of the hour, Otep. From beginning to end they had the crowd moving. Between chanting with songs and moshing to breakdowns, Otep still knows how to get a crowd hyped. Their dark style and deep screams called to the audience and the energy around them was palpable.

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The pit was moving almost the entire set and all in all they put on a hands down great performance. If you haven\’t had a chance to see the legendary Otep, this might be one of their last tours so find a stop near you and be prepared for a pit.

-Hans Jaeger

-Photos by Reggie Edwards